1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of clinical assays indicative of biological conditions, and is of interest in the technology of binding assays for analytes in biological fluids for purposes of diagnosis, monitoring, or other clinical functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since the initial disclosure of radioimmunoassays in 1961, a wide variety of in vitro assays using affinity-type binding have been developed. Variations include the type of binding (for example, specific vs. non-specific, and immunological vs. non-immunological), the type of detection (including the use of labels such as enzyme labels, radioactive labels, fluorescent labels, and chemiluminescent labels), methods of detecting whether or not binding has occurred (including methods in which bound species are separated from unbound species and methods that do not include such separation), and various other aspects of the assay procedure. The technology is currently used for the detection and quantitation of countless species, and serves as an analytical tool in the detection and monitoring of many physiological conditions and functions and the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.
Improvements in the efficiency and reproducibility of these assays have been made by various developments including improved labels, methods of detection, automation, and systems for multiplex analyses. Each procedure however requires a sequence of steps, and any means of shortening the sequence, increasing the number of analyses that can be performed within a given period of time, or improving the reproducibility and versatility of the assay will benefit the purpose of the assay.
Many binding assays are heterogeneous assays, which rely in part on the transfer of analyte from a liquid sample to a solid phase by the binding of the analyte during the assay to the surface of the solid phase. At some stage of the assay, whose sequence varies depending on the assay protocol, the solid phase and the liquid phase are separated and the determination leading to detection and/or quantitation of the analyte is performed on one of the two separated phases. One type of solid phase that has been used are magnetic particles, which offer the combined advantages of a high surface area and the ability to be temporarily immobilized at the wall of the assay receptacle by imposition of a magnetic field while the liquid phase is aspirated, the solid phase is washed, or both. Descriptions of such particles and their use are found in Forrest et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,687 (Technicon Instruments Corporation, Feb. 27, 1979); Ithakissios, U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,534 (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Sep. 19, 1978); Vlieger, A. M., et al., Analytical Biochemistry 205:1-7 (1992); Dudley, Journal of Clinical Immunoassay 14:77-82 (1991); and Smart, Journal of Clinical Immunoassay 15:246-251 (1992).
Of farther possible relevance to this invention is the state of the art relating to the use of flow cytometry for the detection and analysis of particles and species bound to the particles. Flow cytometry has been disclosed for use in the detection and separation of antigens and antibodies by Coulter Electronics Inc., United Kingdom Patent No. 1,561,042 (published Feb. 13, 1980); and for quantitation of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) products by Vlieger, A. M., et al., Analytical Biochemistry 205:1-7 (1992). Flow cytometry has been limited in the analysis of biological samples. The sensitivity of those assay formats that do not require separation of free from bound species (i.e., sandwich and competitive assays) is adversely affected by the increased background signal noise caused by the unbound label. Antigen-capture antibody assays require the removal of non-specific immunoglobulin before the addition of class-specific labeled anti-Ig. Samples containing particulates (such as stool samples, for example) require the removal of this debris which would otherwise interfere with the flow cytometric measurement. Traditional separation techniques, such as filtration or centrifugation would be successful in removing unbound label or non-specific Ig but would fail to remove interfering particulates from the patient sample. In addition, these traditional separation techniques are difficult and/or costly to automate. The use of magnetic particles and magnetism is a well known method and has been shown to be both efficient and cost-effective in automated diagnostic systems.
Of still further possible relevance to this invention is the state of the art relating to the detection of antibodies of distinct classes but with a single common antigen specificity. The detection of antibodies of a particular class separately from those of other classes (i.e., IgG as distinct from IgA, or IgM) is relevant to various diagnostic determinations. For example, during the course of infection by an antigen, the different antibody classes are raised at different times, the IgM antibodies generally arising first, and as the infection progresses, the IgM and IgA antibodies dropping in concentration while the IgG antibodies arise. Determination of the relative amounts of these antibody classes for a specific antigen can thus be used as a measure of the stage of the infection and of how recently the infected person has been exposed to a particular disease, which information is of value in deciding how best to treat the disease. Differentiation among the antibody classes can also serve as an indication of whether or not a particular disease is active at the time of the assay. Existing assays capable of this type of differentiation have involved the use of multiple fluorophores that are excited at a common wavelength but emit at different wavelengths, achieved for example through energy transfer. Unfortunately, the utility and accuracy of this approach is limited by overlapping emission spectra and imperfect energy transfer. The approach also suffers from a lack of sensitivity. Other approaches involve the use of blocking agents which often give rise to false positives and similar problems.
A related type of diagnostic assay is one that detects antibodies of a single class but of multiple antigen specificities. This type of assay is useful in various types of screening tests and in generalized determinations which offer the useful information of whether exposure has occurred and when, without distinguishing in terms of the particular nature of the exposure. In formation of this type is useful in determining whether a subject is susceptible to infection in general, and can generate this type of information from a single patient sample rather than requiring multiple samples. Existing assays for this type of differentiation use blocking agents to inactivate antibodies of particular classes. The unfortunate result of these blocking agents is that they often give rise to false positive results.